A/N: Someone asked me to post a plan of all of the friends that my characters keep so I will. I will give you Harry and Vivien because the others will have friend which are well introduced in the story xx

Genevieve sat in her kitchen looking out to her garden her eyes drawn to the same thing every second minute.

Viv if you want to know what they are doing go out and see for yourself” Sirius said shutting the newspaper with a rustle. She sighed and there was another scream from the garden, they were horsing about with the garden hose and water balloons. Genevieve couldn’t take her eyes off of the beautiful black girl in her back garden wearing a white bikini with multi coloured polkadots on.

“Why couldn’t he find a normal girlfriend why someone who is unbelievable beautiful”

“I wouldn’t expect anything less from my beautiful boy” Sirius said lazily continued to read the newspaper.

“She’s too beautiful” Viv said looking at her

“Frankie says she’s by far the prettiest girl in school, all the boys fancy her apparently”

“There’s always one in every year, the early bloomers as we used to call them. Miss Walker was an early bloomer”

“And Cordelia. Which reminds me I promised I’d go and see her today … oh seriously Sirius look at her she looks like she’s just stepped out of the rain forest, she’s so bloody exotic looking” Viv said and Sirius grinned at this description.

“You aren’t jealous of a sixteen year old girl Viv” he said unsurely, she looked at him defensively before it collapsed

“You can bet your arse I’m jealous of her, she’s all young and toned, her skin looks like she was born yesterday”

“Who knows maybe she was, she might not be very intelligent”

“Francis says she is”

“What’s Aurora doing?” Sirius asked her looking back at the newspaper.

“Sitting in the tree writing in her diary again. Honestly if she puts that thing down it will be a miracle. You know I have a right mind to look in it” Viv mused “Maybe in there I can find out just why she’s closing herself in her bedroom and refusing to eat with us at meal times”

“She doesn’t want us to see her eating and doesn’t want to see her eating. She claims it’s like going to the toilet in a room with everyone else doing the same thing” Viv screwed up her face.

“I don’t like this Sirius” Viv said musingly looking at her daughter sitting in the tree.

‘If I dropped this very moment would anyone care?’ Aurora wrote in her diary the sounds of her family’s enjoyment an play reverberating in her mind like a troublesome headache ‘I could just fall out of this tree and no one would notice. They don’t care about me, they only care about how they appear to be. They care about Miranda and Alphie but me … only Uncle James cares about me. My cousins hate me with passion. What’s wrong with being a Slytherin in any event? They act like I’ve just been sent to Azkaban or something. I am now starting to imagine what would happen if I just fell out of this tree and got all gory down on the grass below. I’m not so sure I want people to see me like that, it’s a bit of an image downer.'

“What are you doing?” Frankie called up from the bottom of the tree, she looked down into his blue eyes and felt her chest tighten.

“I’m writing it’s nothing to do with you so why don’t you go away” she said and adjusted herself on the small platform in the tree to turn her back on him.

“What are you writing in your diary Aurora? You writing what Julian Frost said to you cause I’d like to know” he said his voice full of intrigued.

“What makes you think he said anything to me” Aurora said feeling a bead of sweat form on her brow … probably because of the large cotton jumper she was shielding her small frame within.

“Because I know he did” he said his voice sounded closer.

“What makes you think it was anything of significance. Honestly he never says anything that I pay attention to” she shouted back down flippantly tucking her long blonde hair behind her ear.

“No need to shout I’m right here” he said and she turned her head around on her shoulders to find him sitting on the platform with her.

“Go away I want to be on my own cant you see that?” she said closing her diary and holding it to her chest protectively.

“I don’t quite know what I see right now. All I know is that it worries me. I remember the first time I ever met you it was on a trip to Diagon Alley to get my stuff for school … it was amazing probably the most amazing day of my life so I remember everything about it”

“Why was that the most amazing day of your life?”

“Because it meant that I could realistically get away from home away from the impoverished life I led that’s why. There was something more in this world than the damp walls of the flat I’d lived in since I was born, more than going to high school, more than ending up in prison, more than taking drugs and getting your girlfriend pregnant by the age of sixteen, there was more to life than the dead end existence I was doomed to live that’s why” he said and Aurora blushed and looked back down to her diary.

“I hate my life” she muttered reading what she had just written.

“And that’s what I don’t like about you” he said drawing Aurora’s attention.

“What don’t you like about me?” she said and Frankie looked at her incredulously and raised his arms fanning them out

“Look around you, look at this amazing garden, that amazing massive house in the middle of London that you live in. the designer clothes that hang in your wardrobe, the warm clean and homely environment in which you were brought up. You have parents who love you, you have grandparents who acknowledge your existence. I would say you lived a privileged life Rori”

“You only think it’s privileged because of where you come from. My parents don’t care about me, they don’t even hardly acknowledge me. They allow Alphie and Miranda to gang up on me, they treat Alphie like a god and Miranda as the one who can do no wrong. Addie is just a baby and gets everything and anything she wants, but me I’m ignored”

“You are not ignored your family is at it’s wits end as to what to do with you Aurora. They are worried about you so much it isn’t healthy. You have no perception of what is going on around you. Look at yourself you have lost about a stone in weight in the space of two months and you have the cheek to think that no one has noticed and that no one cares. I know what it feels like for no one to care about you Aurora and what’s going on in your head right now … that is completely abstracted from the truth. Everyone who meets you loves you. Don’t laugh it’s true. Sure people associate your name already with a certain amount of tyranny but it doesn’t mean it’s true, people who know you know what you are really like and the kind of care and affection you are capable of”

“I’m a horrible human being, and my family is even worse. Alphie hates me I know he does”

“No he doesn’t and I know that for sure because he does nothing but worry about you all day every day. We both do”

“You are more of a brother to me than Alphie ever is Francis” she sulked bringing the collar of her jumper up over her nose hiding her mouth.

“That’s kind but I’m just a friend. You know that if you ever need anything you come to me about it, or Alphie, he would prefer you to come to him more often than you do. Rori people love you”

“No they don’t” she said stubbornly.

“You know what it’s fucking useless trying to talk to you, you have absolutely no perception of what’s going on around you. If you cant tell that people love and care about you well that’s your hang up. But just know you are killing your mother with this shit ... and whats more you used to be really cute, funny and happy whenever you ewalked into a room it spread to everybody ... and now well you just make people despair” he said and dropped out of the tree and continued play fighting with Miranda as if nothing had just happened. Aurora could really hate him at times. But it was more of a love/hate relationship.

‘I think I’ll go to my room and kill myself now’ she jotted in her diary before closing it and climbing down the tree with care.

“Are you not playing Rori” Addie ran up to her, her hair was soaking wet.

“Does it look like I’m playing Addie?” she asked Addie looked up at her sadly.

“I want you to play” Addie said with an overly hopeful smile.

“You don’t always get what you want brat girl, the sooner you realise that the better” Rori said and swept towards the kitchen.

“Right I’m going out … Sirius, don’t let him misbehave that girl is here only under my duress” Genevieve said seeing Aurora storming towards the house and Addie looking at her, her lip trembling.

“Sirius darling, darling sweetheart, where there’s a will there’s a way and she is a very very pretty girl, he will find a way to get her up into his bedroom. He will use Frankie as a diversionary and at a long shot Vivien but he will manage it or try to”

“I don’t know Viv I like her, she’s nice, she’s playing with Addie and she seems to be friendly with Miranda” The kitchen doors clattered open with an all mighty bang.

“Oh my god I hate Louisa Clark, tell me when she leaves she is the most sanctimonious know it all …” Aurora stormed past them throwing off her sun hat and walking up the stairs her voice trailing behind her. They got up and moved into the hallway Genevieve picked up her handbag as it stood on the hall stand, Sirius smiled and took an opportunity to hug her closely … not for much longer as they were interrupted.

“Well clearly not everyone likes her” Genevieve said with a smile. She hadn’t finished saying this before Frankie came running into the house from the back garden full pelt with something in his hand.

“Where did she go!” he said panting a large smile on his face.

“That had better not be a water balloon in my house boy” Genevieve said eyeing the object in his hand.

“It’s not like I’m going to throw it or anything … it’s just Rori got away” he said lying.

“So you’ve started a water fight?” Viv asked him.

“Is there anything better to do … god she’s moody … RORI!!” he called and Genevieve put her hands over her ears.

“Hey come on leave her alone for a while … oh and Frankie, I am leaving now, and I know this will mean very little to you, but be a good boy and don’t go along with Alphard’s idea of getting Louisa up to his room, there’s a good boy” Genevieve said and he laughed.

“How the hell … man you are psychic. Whit’s up with Rori she just comes out to the garden spots Vivien and Lolly and then decides to sit in the tree all afternoon, she’s just made Addie cry”

“Rori always makes Addie cry and I have a feeling that Rori isn’t exactly liking our exotic house guest very much” Sirius said gently and Frankie laughed, he knew fine well why Aurora wasn’t fond of her brother’s girlfriend and it really had nothing to do with her know it all nature and everything to do with the amazing figure and confidence to wear a skimpy bikini.

“Ah well, we can’t all get along” Frankie said with a grin.

“Oh hello there … em Alphie said there was a loo down here but I cant see it … is there one upstairs?” Louisa walked in from the back garden her skin was already tanning to a darker shade of brown and her dark brown hair was scraped back from her really rather beautiful face.

“The loo is under the stairs doll … here let me show yeh” Frankie said diving past Sirius towards the tanned and toned figure of Louisa Clark … even though she was now protecting her modesty with a large t-shirt.

“Oh okay … are you going out Mrs Black?” Louisa asked in that ever so pleasant manner of hers.

“Yes” Genevieve said slowly.

“Oh no” Louisa said looking really quite annoyed.

“Pardon?” she said looking at Louisa with a hooked eyebrow.

“Well it just means I am going to have to be super resilient, Alphie has plans … he isn’t getting though” she said with a swift flash of her pearly white teeth as Frankie showed her the loo, she went in and Frankie turned to Genevieve and Sirius with a fitting grin.

“That’s Alphard’s doing, he sent her in here to say that … don’t think I don’t know my own son Frankie” Genevieve said with a smile and he looked at her astounded “Frankie you can go out there and tell Alphard I know absolutely every trick in the book, I have had to hide relationships in the past so if anyone knows I know” she said and with a roll of the eyes he left the hallway and went back to the garden. “Right darling love you and leave you I should be back around the four o’clock mark, just have to take them shopping, don’t know why Lily can’t do it but … hey ho you and this fucking charity” she said and with a last kiss she left the house.

“Alright on with the days business … Rori sweetheart will you come and help me?”

“What with?” came the muffled reply

“Charity books, organisation I need you to help” he called back and the toilet flushed followed by a rather flushed looking girl who had the decency to look ashamed of herself.

“I’m sorry he made me do it” Louisa said before running out of the hallway, through the kitchen and back to the garden. Sirius frowned slightly as Aurora appeared wearing her white cotton sundress forgoing the large jumper she had put on that morning, she was looking very gaunt indeed. Her arms were very thin and her collarbone more prominent than Sirius could remember it being.

“I don’t want anything to eat if that’s your plan I’m not hungry” she said folding her arms holding her diary to her chest.

“But you must be hungry you haven’t had any breakfast” Sirius tried to reason with her.

“But I’m not hungry so end of conversation” she said pointedly.

“No not end of conversation you’ve barely eaten one meal since we’ve been home” Sirius proceeded with the conversation.

“I don’t like you watching me eat, I eat when you aren’t … just because we eat at different times doesn’t mean I don’t eat”.

“Right fine suit yourself, come and help me then, you’ve won, conversation’s over … and plus it gets really warm upstairs in the summer … do you want a glass of water or juice?” he asked her.

“Cranberry juice … but I’ll get it myself, you might put something in it” she said reaching the bottom of the stairs, her height was truly astonishing, maybe it was her new height which made her look gaunt, perhaps her stretch had caused her to look so thin … he had to tell himself this he wasn’t able to cope with the truth glaring him in the face at the moment. He followed her into the kitchen on instinct, she just wasn’t the same girl who would eat her own fillet steak and then everybody’s left-over’s, it wasn’t natural, but as Genevieve said everyone grows up differently. And anyway to broach the subject with her would be another scene with Aurora accusing them of trying to make her fat.

“How’s the cranberry juice?”Sirius asked her as she delicately poured herself a glass of juice and brought it to her lips very carefully as if there was something poisonous in it.

“Nice” she said sipping on it before her eyes were drawn out to the garden “Look at her braiding Mimi’s hair … who does she think she is, I hate her she’s a hating bitch” Aurora said her eyes mere slits, Sirius followed her gaze and wasn’t surprised to see her glaring at Louisa.

“Language … I quite like her actually seems polite enough … what do you mean by ‘she’s a hating bitch’?” he asked her.

“She looks me up and down, I saw her do it today before I put on my jumper, she doesn’t like me because I’m prettier” she said so matter of factly that Sirius was taken aback.

“That’s not a nice thing to say Aurora, she’s a very pretty girl” he told her and encouraged her to sit down she declined.

“She’s fat” she replied sipping on her cold cranberry juice “Look at her … thunder thighs Clark that’s what we are going to be calling her from now on”

“We?” he asked through his shock … the girl out in the back garden was not even a chubby girl she was slim.

“Yep … well I’m not allowed to talk to Phaedra or Acacia and even though they helped me, they were total bitches to Mimi”

“That’s putting it mildly … what do you mean they helped you?” Sirius asked her he had a horrible feeling about this whole thing.

“They have been there for me when I was scorned by my family at school … oh yes dad don’t act surprised it did happen” she said noticing her father shaking his head

“I’m not surprised Rori, I know fine well why they did” he said and she just scowled and looked out into the back garden again watching Vivien dancing for them like a maniac as she always did it entertained Addie.

“God look how fat Vivien is … she has packed on the pounds has she not” Rori said with a sly smirk looking at her cousin through the glass doors … once again, she was gravely mistaken, you could drive a car through Vivien’s legs she was so skinny … but that wasn’t her fault she was just terribly ill and would always be as frail a girl as the day she was born, no matter how much she ate and that was a great deal.

“Did you see when you went into the fridge your mum stayed up last night and baked your favourite chocolate fudge cake” he said hopefully drawing attention away from his frail niece.

“Well it isn’t my favourite anymore, I hate anything with chocolate in it. And anyway look at Clark cosying up to my family, well she had best not get too comfortable”

“That’s enough Rori, she can get as comfortable as she likes, and you will call her by her real name at all times, you will be kind and civil … what’s the matter?” her face had paled as she watched the activities in the garden she put her half empty glass of juice down with a clink on the marble counter.

“Frankie is coming in … I’m going to my room” she said hurriedly

“Why?” Sirius asked curiosity getting the better of him.

“Because …” she trailed off as she left the kitchen.

“Hiya, do you have any ice lollies, Vivien really wants one … or anything generally fattening will do, we’re trying to fatten her up, it’s our latest project to solve Hogwarts starvation crisis” Frankie said coming into the kitchen, Sirius pointed to the cabinet and he went straight to the cupboard with the freezing charm placed upon it to allow a freezing cold space within the normal cupboard “Ice cream lollies brilliant, and covered with chocolate even better … where’s Rori?”

“Vivien isn’t the only one you’ve been trying to fatten up is she?” Sirius asked suddenly understanding why Aurora ran to her room.

“No we have a list, Rori is of course at the top, and Alphie wants Lolly to have more meat on her bones”

“I don’t need to know that one. Francis, you talk to Aurora more than most of get the chance to these days. All I get out of her is how fat other girls are, do you have any idea whats going on with her?” Sirius asked feeling a certain amount of sadness having to ask him this.

“Well there’s this boy in the year above her, Julian Frost, during dinner one night just after Christmas, we saw him say something to her and that was the last time I saw her at dinner or lunch or breakfast at school. So whether she has just developed a phobia of eating in front of others I don’t know but I’m trying to find out anyway”

“I don’t know if you are going about it the right way though. Something has gone seriously wrong … tell me is Phaedra Lestrange painfully thin?” he asked starting to put two and two together.

“They all are Sirius, all of them, why? They aren’t on our saviour list though”

“No it’s just I think they are doing whatever it is she is doing with her, supporting her in some kind of way” he said with a sigh.

“I don’t know, there is just an epidemic of skinniness at school, worrying really. The worst thing is I think a certain magically ill girl started it” he said looking over his shoulder at Vivien “They are all trying to be like her probably because it’s only the girls our age and younger who suffer from it, they don’t know they are trying to take the look of someone who’s dying”

“It might feel like that to her but there is no proof her illness is terminal, she has just always been very small. Anyway no more talk … go on out and give them their ice lollies, I’m staying here so that Alphard doesn’t have a chance of sneaking past me” Sirius said and sat down at the large kitchen table. Frankie laughed and ran out into the back garden.

“I bring ice lollies!” Frankie yelled running back out into the other’s midst.

“Oh I don’t like those ones. I have sensitive teeth I can’t bite into them” Louisa said lying back onto the grass in a sulk.

“Oh well ladyship, feel free to go and choose something to your liking Vivien will just eat your one wont you Vivien?”

“Vivien-Rose eats whatever she can, whenever she can, give it here Frankie” Vivien said and grabbed an ice lolly from him and began to eat luxuriously.

“How on earth do you stay so skinny, there is no way I could eat what you eat and still be a size eight” Louisa moaned “I mean everything in moderation and all of that but …” she said noticing that everyone had gone quiet.

“I can stay this weight because I am ill” Vivien told her with a mouthful of ice cream “I can’t believe you think I would want my body to look like this”

“I never … I’m sorry I really didn’t know” she said awkwardly

“It’s alright Lol … go on live a little, if you crack the chocolate it comes off and you can suck on the ice cream” Vivien said and threw an ice cream in her general direction Lolly caught it and with a cheeky smile knowing she was being good to herself she cracked the chocolate on the ice cream and ate that first before sucking on the vanilla ice cream “Doesn’t that feel good” Vivien said and she laughed a little dribble of ice cream ran down her bottom lip before she wiped it away.

“So your dad says he’s staying in the kitchen so you cant by pass him on your way upstairs” Frankie said , Lolly giggled and Alphie sighed.

“Unless we unleash the beautiful tantrum power of Addie” he said with a bit of a brain wave.

“What do you want me to do” Addie said springing up from the grass where she was cuddled into Miranda.

“Look she’s more than willing to go and distract daddy aren’t you Addie?” Alphie said making it exciting for her.

“Shall I make him plan my birthday party again … talk about all of the things I need, it will take a while but I shall need to go and get my list first” she said in a manner Alphie was sure she thought was grown up but which turned out to be really cute and babyish.

“Don’t you just want to roll her up and take her home” Frankie said pulling her over towards him … she looked happy at her change of cuddler.

“Well we have to make it look natural” Alphie said.

“I’m not being funny Alphie but I don’t see why we all have to put so much effort into an attempt by you to get your girlfriend on your bed without mummy finding out … you know she will find out and we will all be in big trouble, I don’t want to take part. I do like you Lolly, but it just isn’t worth getting into trouble for, sorry” Miranda said apologetically “I’m going to go and have some chocolate cake and maybe send some up to Rori, she won’t eat it but it’s worth a try” she said cheerily and walked away from the group.

“This wouldn’t be Aunty Viv’s famous chocolate fudge cake … with a twist. The twist is she puts marshmallows into the icing and tops it with chocolate brownies” Vivien said putting the rest of her icecream in her mouth and closing her eyes. She moaned and smiled with her eyes closed.

“Sounds like a diabetic coma to me” Louisa said still enjoying her ice cream.

“I don’t fancy any either … perhaps you could all go inside” Alphie said the new plan coming into action “… annoy dad and keep him busy” he said offhandedly his eyes not leaving those of his girlfriend.

“Can you at least wait till we’re gone then, come on then kids” Frankie said getting up from the grass Addie attached to his side as she grinned cutely “What are you grinning at?”

“I’ll come and live with you if you want … it would be fun they could write a story book about it” Alphie heard her say as his friend carried her away.

“So are you sure you don’t want some chocolate cake?” Alphie asked Louisa.

“Alphie if I didn’t know better I would think that you were trying to fatten me up … I hope not, I am comfortable the weight I am” she said falling back onto the grass and closing her eyes.

“You are a bit skinny” he said and she turned her head shielding her eyes from the sun she gave him a scandalised stare.

“I am who I am, yes naturally I am a lot bigger but it took a lot of work to be the weight I am and I like it” she said with a sigh.

“How big are you naturally?” he asked her, she didn’t really want to answer and he wasn’t even that interested she was just talking about it so it was only polite to ask the right questions.

“A size twelve but that doesn’t mean anything to you. Point is Alphie I wasn’t happy at that size … you probably don’t even remember me that size” she said with a giggle

“I do, you are the first thing I remember about school. I was waiting outside the Hogwarts express with my hysterical mother and my sulking sisters, Harry was holding Vivien’s hand and introducing her to all his friends and then I saw you. You said hi to Erin before jumping onto the train … I was scared about going to school but after that all I could think about was following you wherever you were going” he said and she giggled uncharacteristically.

“Oh Alphie, you clearly exaggerate” she said and pushed him away.

“I don’t it might just have been love at fist sight” he said giving her puppy eyes.

“Alphie you are exaggerating I was a prize heffer” she said pushing him again flirtatiously.

“You were not you were beautiful … as you would be at any weight, shape and size. As it happens it took me until I was fourteen to even pluck up the courage to ask you out. You can ask anyone, you are the only girl at school who I’ve ever fancied”

“Oh Alphie, the girls in your year and below throw themselves at you, are you trying to tell me you have never been tempted?” she said looking up into his eyes as he sat next to her cross legged on the grass.

“Never, I’ve only ever had eyes for you” he said and she laughed along with him, neither of them liked cheesy things and that was rather cheesy.

“Well I’m glad you found that Gryffindor courage … so many boys just assume I am stuck up or taken by someone else that they never pluck up the courage. But Alphie you needn’t kid me on I know how large I was, a size twelve is perfectly ordinary for a woman aged eighteen and over but you are forgetting I was five foot four and twelve … anyway could we stop with the body shape discussions it gets me feeling all funny and self conscious”

“Sorry Lou Lou, come here” he said lying down next to her in the sun.

“No Alphie your dad will go mental and what if your mum comes home … she already thinks I am some kind of cradle snatcher” she protested.

“So what … it’s not true, you’re the youngest in your year I am one of the eldest in mine … come here” he demanded and she discarded her lollipop stick on the grass and lay next to him looking up at the clouds as he forced her into a cuddle “You are the prettiest girl in the school, and the nicest and sweetest person I have ever known” he said and she smiled abashedly.

“You’re not so bad yourself” she replied with a smile her large blue eyes looking up into his clear grey ones “I don’t like the nickname Lou Lou, I prefer Lolly. By the way, Lou Lou is what Alludra Lestrange gets called by her very few friends and acquaintances. So tell me, today, have you been trying to get your leg over again?” she asked and he looked at her with startled eyes

“Sssshhhh”

“No didn’t think you’d want to talk about that” she said with a sly smile.

“Are you making fun of me? Cause it isn’t funny … you had better not have said anything to anybody” he saif frantically, his brow was furrowed.

“Like I would Alphie, it was embarrassing for me too” she said candidly.

“How? How was it embarrassing for you?” he said incredulously.

“Well I was embarrassed for you” she said and laughed raucously “But I was embarrassed” she said and he frowned.

“Oh again with the making fun of me” he said sulkingly and crossed his arms, he turned away from her.

“Hey it was a joke, I haven’t told anyone I’m not likely to recount that experience to anyone Alphie … look it happens all the time you know, you aren’t supposed to be good yet” she said soothingly and rubbed his back, even though she was dieing to laugh.

“I know but it’s not easy when your dad is the mayor of Lotharioville” he said his voice still full of sulky tones.

“Oh Alphie, I bet even your dad didn’t know what to do and wasn’t all too good at the start as well … what you need is a good teacher and look, I’m still here aren’t I?” she said with a raise of her eyebrows and he smiled slightly.

“I suppose … but you have to promise to maintain my supposed innocence” he said and she looked at him incredulously.

“Oh so what I have tainted you with my massive slut brush now is that it?” she asked him and laughed.

“No, I was just saying as far as Frankie is concerned we haven’t gone all the way so keep it shusht”

“Believe me when I tell you this Alphie, I have absolutely no wish on recounting the experience to anyone okay?” she said and he sighed dismally before a smile appeared on his handsome face.

“But we are going to work at it aren’t we?” a sparkle glinted in his eye.

“Yes Alphie the minute we can have some privacy …but I don’t call your bedroom next to your mum and dads bedroom privacy, now I plan on staying for dinner and I don’t want your mum going medieval on me as she no doubt will”

“Okay … but can I have a kiss at least”

“Fine … but not too passionate, you have a habit of getting carried away” she said with a hook of an eyebrow, he just laughed it off and begun to kiss her … his favourite hobby … well one of them anyway.

Meanwhile in the kitchen, suspicion seemed to be being kept at a low ebb.

“Mmmmm, this chocolate cake is the absolute deal … isn’t it Addie?” Frankie asked Adhara who just grinned manically her face covered in chocolate and her hands.

“Chocolate and marshmallow icing you cant beat it can you?” Vivien said as she managed to fit another piece in her mouth.

“No, he found something much sweeter in the garden” Addie said and Vivien scrunched her nose up to indicate how cute she thought her little cousin was “Daddy, hands all dirty” she said holding them out towards him.

“Yeah I think you’ve got some on your face too” he said to general laughter and begun to walk towards her.

“What the hell … oh Sirius don’t give her chocolate cake” Genevieve said as she stood in the doorway looking harassed. Frankie gave a frantic look to Vivien who gulped visibly.

“Yeah alright … you are absolutely covered in chocolate, the cake was supposed to be for Rori you know?” she said shrugging Vivien off and walking into the kitchen.

“Wishful thinking Viv, anyway the kids asked for some and they got because they asked ever so nicely, What are you doing home anyway?” Sirius said as he conjured steps for Addie to climb up to the sink

“Got my dates wrong, I turned up at the house and the kids had gone off to the zoo on a day out” she said as she sat down at the kitchen table next to Frankie.

“Oh alright then … Now remember what we do” Sirius said readdressing Adhara as he stood behind her at the sink.

“Soap first” she said and Sirius dispensed a great dollop of liquid soap onto her hands as he stood behind her holding her hands out “And then rub your hands together” Sirius rubbed her hands together the grime coming away.

“And then what?” he asked her.

“Er … we rinse off”

“Yep, just let daddy see if the water is too hot or not” he said and run the water, testing it on the back of his hand.

“Mummy I’m washing my own hands!” Addie shouted to her mother who rolled her eyes and scanned the kitchen with her eagle eye. Sirius put Addie’s hands under the tap and washed his own hands with her

“Now what?” he asked her as he turned the tap off.

“We dry them … but we need a towel” she said and Sirius smiled.

“We do need a towel, here we go” Sirius got the towel and wrapped both their hands in the towel, she giggled sweetly.

“Not like that daddy it wont work if my hands are in yours they’re just going to stay wet … I’ll go first” she said and dried her hands on the towel, and Sirius dred his hands after her “Yay!” she called and he picked her up before landing her on the ground again, she ran towards Genevieve.

“Look mummy I washed and dried my own hands” she said hands outstretched palm first for her mother to inspect.

“That’s great sweetie … just the face left to do” she said and a look of utter horror dawned on her face.

“Oh so there is such a thing as too much time with Rori then, nice to know” she said and picked her up “Come on we need to get you changed and your face washed … honestly Sirius a three year old and chocolate cake, one might think you are trying to destroy my house purposely”

“It isn’t just your house you know” he called after her and unseen by everyone else she gave him the finger jovially before carrying Addie up the stairs.

“Right, what will we do, let Alphard face the fire or not” Sirius said once Genevieve was out of ear shot.

“Aw don’t ask me that, you know what I’m going to choose” Frankie said with a mock sad face “You’ve got to learn the hard way if you ask me” he said shaking his head “It’s sad but true”

“Lets face the music and dance, while there is moonlight and music and love and romance, let’s face the music and dance” Vivien sung to them along with a tap dance she had learned from Elizabeth causing Miranda to giggle.

“Yes thanks for that Vivien … so we act oblivious over Alphard’s whereabouts then?”

“Yep, sounds good to me” Frankie said with a happy smile.

“But mummy might be mean to Louisa” Miranda said biting her fingernails as was her habit.

“Lolly can handle it you know” Frankie told her “She’s a big girl she can look after herself, and don’t bite your fingernails”

“Why not?”

“It isn’t nice that’s why” Frankie said and she scowled playfully. They didn’t have to wait very long before Addie cam running down the stairs in a most unusual outfit ... it was 30 degrees Celsius outside and she wanted to wear a sowester hat and a duffel coat.

“Mummy says I can wear what I want” Addie said “And that I’m not allowed to eat anymore chocolate cake … and Rori needs a piece and she wants to know where Alphie is” she said with wide eyes “I fink he’s …” she trailed off and blushed as she clasped her hands before herself shyly and brought her shoulders up to her ears.

“Yes well I reckon he probably is, but it also isn’t very wise, considering your mother is home … but he doesn’t need to know that now does he?” Sirius said relaxing in the tall backed seat he was sat in.

“Oh are we getting Alphie into trouble … okay I’ll go along with it if I can … have some marshmallows” Addie said looking up at Sirius pleadingly.

“You’ll go along with it without marshmallows Addie, because well I say so come here you silly girl you must be roasting” Sirius said lifting her from her position from beside his chair “You’re already sweating”

“But daddy” she moaned as he removed her jacket and hat, she pouted cutely.

“Don’t complain, you probably feel much better now … although slightly less stylish” he said and kissed her on her cherry cheek causing a grin to spread across her lips.

“Daddy said I was stylish Mimi” Addie said with a grin cuddling Sirius.

“Of course you are Ads” Miranda said and smiled slightly as she saw her little sister enjoy her cuddle … she got far too many of them though.

“Oh there you are I don’t like it when you walk away from me” Genevieve said as she swanned into the kitchen looking very glamorous as she always did.

“Why are you home so early mum?” Miranda asked in her quiet voice.

“I just told your father, I got my dates wrong, it doesn’t happen very often but it does happen on occasion. Where’s Alphard?” she asked perching herself on the countertop.

“In the garden with Louisa” Sirius said in a manner which infuriated his wife, she just looked at him with an indistinguishable look on her face … well indistinguishable for everyone but Sirius “What? They’re only out in the garden Viv, calmness is a virtue”

“So is good parenting” she said walking towards the large doors at the end of the room.

“On you go then, go and ruin his day” Sirius said.

“It won’t ruin his day, I just don’t want ‘that’ going on in the vicinity of my home, he can be who he is at school but when he comes home he is my little boy okay”

“Yes Viv … on you go then” Sirius said clearly trying to make a point to her. By giving her permission he was trying to point out there was no need to do what she wanted to do.

“Don’t you sit there all sanctimonious, he’s up to something because she tried to distract me, don’t think I just came down the Thames in dingy” Genevieve said looking at Vivien who had the decency to blush. Genevieve moved towards the glass door and looked out into the back garden and correct enough Alphie was definitely snogging his girlfriend on the grassy slope which was their garden. Evidently Sirius words had caused an effect within his wife as she paused momentarily; a ripple effect of shock was experienced in the kitchen caused by such an act of hesitation. It was gone within moments as she slowly and quietly opened the back door and stepped out onto the patio her skyscraper heels clicking on the stones quietly.

“Alphard, as lovely as Louisa is and as hesitant as I am to break up this touching moment I thought I made my rules clear to you” she said in her best authoritative voice.

“Christ almighty, mum” Alphie cried and leapt what appeared to be ten feet in the air … of course it wasn’t. He stood to attention as Louisa brought herself up from the grass blushing scarlet “What are you doing home?” he asked her.

“Are you talking to me in that tone?” she asked peering at him dangerously.

“Of course not, I was just wondering and … we were only …” he trailed off

“You clearly don’t abide by my rules so I don’t see any reason why you should feel the need to explain yourself … come on in I think I might make lunch” she said and walked back into the kitchen “See I wasn’t too hard on him” she said to Sirius goadingly.

“At least you care enough about him to even want to know where he is never mind what he’s doing” Frankie said dismally and Vivien tried to make light of his statement as Genevieve brought a bottle of strawberry flavoured water from the fridge.

“My mum and dad don’t know where I am either I know it’s different but … what is it?” Vivien asked noticing the eyes of both her aunt and uncle on her.

“Do you mean you walked here on your own from Belgravia … on your own and Lily doesn’t know where you are?” Sirius asked her a definite hysterical note in his voice.

“Yeah … it’s nothing honestly they probably haven’t even noticed what with all the lovely arguing they were doing in the kitchen this morning” she said dismally.

“Hardly … Sirius take Vivien home and tell them to call the search off” Viv said looking at Vivien incredulously.

“What search?” Vivien queried.

“The one your father will undoubtedly have called for you, oh bloody hell you cant go off wandering across London on your own Vivien” Viv scalded her.

“Yes … my big brother came with me on the Knightbus” she said in her small and soft voice.

“Good well Vivien you cannot do that ever, ever ever again do you understand? There are people out there who if they saw you your own would kill you … you have to understand that” Viv said seriously

“Somebody actually wants to kill me?” she asked her eyes wide

“Well no but they could … oh fuck Lily will be going spare” she swore, Addie held her hand to her mouth in shock and giggled, Miranda just rolled her eyes

“I’m sorry” she said still sitting at the kitchen table.

“Well hurry up Vivien Sirius will take you home, Lily will kill me for not checking in the first place … never mind James” she said clearly shaken by her nieces flippancy, a sentiment whole heartedly shared by the searching Potters as her absence at lunch had been most notable.

A/N: I know this chapter is very long but it was shorter in draught form and then I added the stuff with Aurora to this chapter because it now fitted. I hope I maintained your attention throughout xx It just shows how hard I work on this story and how much I think about it, I hope you take this into account when it comes to reviewing .... I'm kidding do what you want as long as you enjoy it xx